North Village interim coach Calvin Dill Jr is preparing for a challenging period without several key players, including in-form striker Jonté Smith.

Smith has been in exceptional scoring form for the Rams, netting seven goals and helping his team secure four consecutive wins. However, he will be travelling to Argentina with the Bermuda cricket team for the ICC T20 World Cup Americas Sub-Regional Qualifier.

Terryn Fray, Village’s back-up goalkeeper who stood in for Detre Bell at the start of the season, and defender Tre Manders are also part of the national cricket squad and will leave the island next week.

Smith, Fray and Manders will be unavailable for Sunday’s match against Wolves at PHC Field (3pm), where Village will be aiming for their fifth consecutive victory. Smith’s absence will be particularly felt, as his partnership with Jai Bean has been instrumental in producing most of the team’s 16 goals this season.

Dill is counting on the remaining squad members to step up until the trio return from Argentina after Bermuda’s final match against the Cayman Islands on December 16.

“We’re really going to miss Jonté Smith because he’s been in fine scoring form for us,” Dill said. “We’re losing a true professional at North Village for a couple of games.

“We have a squad of 20 guys, but 11 players have to go on the field and, if everybody is doing their job, then we should be fine.

“Out of 20 players, somebody's going to get injured or unavailable to play. If you put everybody in the frame of mind that when Jonté comes off the field, someone else has to step up, then we’ll be fine.

“It’s going to be a big miss for us, but we can’t rely on one player. To achieve what we want to achieve, we have to do it as a team.”

Village have made an impressive recovery after losing their first match of the season to Young Men’s Social Club. Four straight wins have brought last season’s runners-up level with PHC in the championship race.

“We’re looking for our fifth win of the season if we pull it off,” Dill said. “We just want to take it one game at a time and stay focused on what we’re trying to achieve.

“The guys are happy and playing the free-flowing football we’ve introduced to them. We’ve let them enjoy themselves while playing this kind of football, getting the job done, and helping one another.

“We’re taking it one game at a time, mindful that no opponent is easy. We have to stick to our game plan. If they come out better than us, then they deserve it.”

In other matches this weekend, Devonshire Colts, who handed PHC their first loss of the season, will look to secure their fourth win. They face a Social Club side that has only earned one point from their last two outings.

Dandy Town, with two wins from five matches, take on Paget, who have a similar record. Town are under pressure to win after drawing their last two matches, while Paget will be motivated following their 4-1 victory against Social Club.

Hamilton Parish will hope to turn around their league form after success in the Dudley Eve Trophy. Sergio Goater’s side, still searching for their first league win, face an equally struggling Devonshire Cougars, who suffered a 6-1 defeat against Village in their last outing.